DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN CENTRAL ASIA: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS IN A LATE START

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 3 - 14, 31.07.2025

Banu Zehir , Ferhan Odabaşı

Abstract

This study examines the structural dynamics, social impacts and policy orientations of digitalization in Central Asian countries, which have been involved in the digital transformation process later on a global scale. Through the examples of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, themes such as digital infrastructure investments, inequalities in internet access, and digital education practices are examined.
The study questions not only technical development but also how digitalization transforms social relations, family structure and educational practices. Topics such as digital parenting, digital and education, media literacy and access to digital content for disadvantaged groups present the current state of the region's digital transformation. Regional digitalization efforts shaped by the World Bank-supported Digital CASA program are evaluated not only in the context of economic integration but also in the context of social equity and cultural sustainability. In this context, the study reveals that digital technologies function not only as a development tool but also as a transformation dynamic in Central Asia.

Keywords

digital , central asia , Digital Transformation

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